Sunday, September 10, 2006

Blogpoll ballot DRAFT - Week 3

These are due Wednesday morning at 9 am, so be sure to give me your comments before then! I listen! I love your help!

1. Ohio State (1)The ninja leader in a world of sake-bombed sumo trainees. They'll take your ass to the dojo.2. Southern Cal (2)I see no reason to drop them. USC/ND is already a matchup over which I am salivating.3. Auburn (3)Mr. Stubborn strikes again! I didn't see the game, but given that it was a blowout of a team that hasn't managed to score a point yet this season, I assume it didn't tell us much. I see no reason, again, to move the Tigers.4. LSU (4)See comment above5. West Virginia (6)See comment above. Movement of Notre Dame and Texas momentarily boosts the Mountaineers6. Notre Dame (10)Even assuming that the Irish have returned to glory (for the 21st time since 1993), it would appear that the magnitude of their margin of victory was due to the splendid incompetence of the Nittany Lions. Still: they beat Michigan on Saturday.7. Georgia (8)The first of four Top Ten Teams that Don't Feel Like Top Ten Teams to Me8. Nebraska (13)These guys didn't play like complete ass, so they can visit the top ten this week. Note that a victory over Nicholls State isn't the reason they get bumped, but rather because everyone else looks pretty darn bad.9. Louisville (15)Again, dismantling Temple is not the reason they're here. It's because they weren't terrible this week10. Texas (5)This is very, very tentative. The 'Horns might not even be this good. It's too early to tell whether the Buckeyes can make anyone look pathetic or whether Colt McCoy just isn't ready to start. I wanted to put Texas around #15 but for now I'll split the difference.11. Miami (Florida) (11) Maybe they've woken up after the Florida State game. We shall see.12. Michigan (14)They couldn't convert key third-and-short situations against a middling MAC defense and they couldn't keep the Chippewas from scoring when they were in the red zone. They'll give Notre Dame a tough time but I just can't see them winning13. Florida (17)Blow out a bad team + a lot of other teams play badly = you move up14. Iowa (7)I can't tell you how upset I am at the Orangemen. When ND/PSU got out of hand, this was a fun game to watch. I think I wouldn't have a stomach lining if I were a Syracuse fan. Anyway, this ranking assumes Drew Tate will be back next week. If he is not, they will continue to suck, and continue to fall15. Wisconsin (19)See note for Florida; also, I'm a huge homer16. Virginia Tech (25)These guys probably sat too low at #25. Let me know what you think, please17. Cal (22)I don't consider Minnesota a "good" team per se, but Cal could be on the right track18. Arizona State (21)Sun Devils are heating up. The slaughter continues against Colorado.19. Florida State (9)This is what struggling with TROY will do to you.20. Oklahoma (16)Convince me that they should be higher and I'll put them there. Frankly I thought they let Washington hang around for WAY too long.21. Georgia Tech (20)Make me care about this team.22. Oregon (24)Is Fresno State supposed to be good this year?23. Tennessee (18)They needed Air Force to make a mistake to win. That's pathetic. Absolutely killed anything they accomplished last weekend in my mind.24. Rutgers (NR)Shoutouts. Yes, I do think they'd beat Penn State at this point25. Pitt (NR)Garbage time pick here. They seem solid(?)

Dropped from the rankings: #12 Penn State (definitely exposed; a five-loss team for sure, even in a soft Big Ten); #23 Clemson (I was right not to rank them in the preseason poll)

Teams I excluded for a good reason: Boise State (hasn't beaten anyone); Alabama (struggled mightily with two bad teams; however, that was their MO last year, so in the end this might be OK); UCLA (26-16 over Rice? Impress me, Bruins); Boston College (2-0 in two real tight ones against two unimpressive foes); Texas Tech (how, pray tell, can you rank a team that struggled with UTEP?)